In the last couple of days, we've heard news reports from Israel about the gruesome murder of two Israeli children at the hands of Palestinian terrorists. Stay with me for a few thoughts about these horrific events in just a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study Across America. My name is Michael Radonich. I'm the academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. I'm so grateful that you're joining me around the radio
kitchen table today. And we're going to be talking about your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. If you have a question and you'd like to call, now is the time. The phone number here (877) 548-3675. Let me give that to you once more. 5483675. Tricia McMillan is producing supervising producer, let's call it that. How's that? To hear Haynes is here, and Merle is doing all things technical, and we're looking forward to hearing from you.
Grateful that you're listening. Time to get yourself a cup of coffee. Open your Bible, because we're about to study the scriptures together. When Hamas and with them Palestinian civilians rampaged through southern Israel on October 7th, 2023, one of the most gruesome things they did was they kidnapped a family of four. First, dad Yarden stepped out from the safe room to give himself up, hoping that they would not find his wife and children. They took him captive
and held him as a hostage. But then they did get his wife and children and the horrific images of, uh, Shiri Bibas, uh, Ariel and Kfir Bibas being taken away captive became sort of the the symbol of the terror that the hostages faced as they were taken, 251 of them taken into Gaza. Uh, it was brutal. About a month in, they, the Hamas terrorist organization, claimed that the these children were killed in an Israeli bombardment, and no
one believed that there was there was no evidence. Well, last week, yarden the dad was returned, barely alive, but still alive. Having been mistreated and tortured in the tunnels of Gaza. Then last week, the bodies of the two children and some wrong, wrongly identified anonymous woman not sharing
the bodies of the two children, though, were returned. And what was discovered by the forensics done on the on those bodies was that those children had been murdered, being by hand by these terrorists, and then their bodies were mutilated with rocks to simulate a death by bombardment. And then after initially failing to return Shuri's body, the mom, it finally was returned, and forensics showed that she too was murdered in a gruesome fashion. I'm telling you, I
am overwhelmed with grief as I see this. I wonder where there's any kind of humanity whatsoever in the these terrorists, and even the one of the most horrific aspects of this whole thing is when the bodies of these babies were returned, the people, there was a gruesome show made of it, people dancing for joy at the murder of children as the as the caskets were being given to the Red cross. Well, this is so hard to discuss,
but I thought I need to address it. Think about tell you about what I'm thinking and trying to think biblically about this. So here's some thoughts. First of all, these horrific murders only confirm the biblical doctrine of total depravity. G.K. Chesterton once said that the only doctrine that can be proved empirically would be the doctrine of total depravity. And all my life I've heard people ask the question about the Holocaust. Where was God when the 6 million died?
One rabbi said, the real question here is where was man? Because it was humanity that did this. Uh, another leading Jewish spokesman said, when you see the depravity of humanity in the Holocaust, you say there was an Eichmann in all of us, given the opportunity. And this is what James 315 and 16 talks about. It talks about even bitterness and envy being characterized as earthly, unspiritual, demonic, and
leading to every kind of evil. Not that we're all as evil as we can be, thank God, but, uh uh, it's. But unrestrained. We can be as evil as the heartless, callous Hamas terrorists and their supporters. But they have have gone all the way, uh, and done these things. Second, these murders also proved the reality of anti-Semitism in Psalm 83, verses three through five. It talks about those who hate God. Uh, it talks about that. They actually those who hate the
God of Israel hate the people of Israel. Let me read you those verses in Psalm 83. Uh, because the reason I mention this is the reason these children were murdered was nothing less than they were Jewish. That was it. That's what drove it. That's why their mom was murdered. That's why their dad was taken captive. It says in Psalm 83, they devise clever schemes against your people. They conspire against your treasured ones. They say, come, let us wipe them out as a nation so that Israel's name
will no longer be remembered for. They have conspired with one mind. They form an alliance against you. Against God. So I think it's, uh, it's really clear that those who hate the God of Israel will hate the people of Israel. And what's heartbreaking is not just Hamas and these terrorists that hate the Jewish people and many of their supporters here in the West are driven by hatred
of the Jewish people as well. The only explanation for last spring's university protests was anti-Semitism, even the violent assault of Jewish people. Last week in Brooklyn, New York, my hometown mostly covered up by the media. But there is a violent pogrom against Jewish people in Brooklyn. That's anti-Semitism. Third, besides total depravity, besides anti-Semitism. Third, we're called to call on God in defense of innocence. In Psalm 919 it says, arise,
O Lord, do not let man prevail. Let the nations be judged by you. And let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered, and let those who hate him flee before him. Uh, that's Psalm 68 one. Uh, finally what I'm saying not finally, but what I'm saying here is that God is the one that will bring vengeance on the appropriate people at this time. But here's the last thought. God uses human government as his agents, as his servants,
to carry out punishment. Romans 13 four says that God, that government is a minister of God for your good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for does not bear the sword for nothing, for it is a minister of God. Twice it uses that word minister or servant, an avenger who brings wrath on those who practice evil. This doesn't refer to a theocratic government. It's just talking about general human government. They are to punish the wicked and protect the innocent. Even with the use
of the sword. The sword was the assault weapon of the first century. The point of this is that the government of Israel will be obligated to act decisively in defense of her own people, as an instrument, as a servant of God in these matters. Well, just to put it all together, I'm feeling much like Matthew did when he wrote about the slaughter of the innocent in Matthew two.
He quoted from Jeremiah 3115, where Jewish motherhood was weeping for her children as they went into captivity after the Babylonian death and destruction that they wrought in Israel in 586 BC. Matthew quotes it, I think every generation we feel it. Rachel is weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children because they are no more. Jeremiah 3115. That's the heartbreaking truth, the reality of of these murders. So, friends, we're going to talk about your
questions about the Bible. We're going to talk about all these things. But I just needed to get this off my heart as I've been so sad the last few days about these events. We're going to take a break. We're going to come back with more of your questions or some of your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. Call with your question right now. It's always easier to get through early in the program before
all the lines fill up. The number Seven five. We're going to come right back with studying the scriptures together in our Bible study across America. Stay with us. This is Michael Dolnick on Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. So glad that you've joined us today for our Bible study across America. Hope you have a cup of coffee ready. I do want to tell you about our current resource. Every time you take a trip, it's important to have a map. I remember when my son and I traveled
across country for his high school graduation gift. We went on a huge road trip about 10,000 miles. We drove all across America, back roads, national parks, baseball games. It was so much fun and every morning we would get into our little camper that we had and we would get out that. Rand McNally road map and plan where we were going so we could get the big picture and then drive off. Sometimes I think when we read this, the scriptures, it would be good to have a road
map as well. And that's why I've chosen as our current resource, Paul Ben Weir's survey of the New Testament. Uh, this is such a helpful tool because it gives you a roadmap from Matthew to Revelation, shows how the whole book fits together. The New Testament helps you understand each book individually, gives you a roadmap for each book, but also gives you a roadmap for how the whole New Testament fits together. And we'd like to send it to you as a as our thank you gift for your
gifts to open line. If you want to give a gift of any size, we want to say thanks by sending you a copy of Paul Bender's Survey of the New Testament. How do you give? If you'd like to give, just call 6447122. That's (888) 644-7122. Or go to open line radio. Org. And when you give remember ask for your copy of survey of the New Testament by Paul Benware. We're going to speak now with Ruth. No, sorry, with Lucy, who has a question about Ruth in Holland, Michigan. Lucy listening
on WGN. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
Thank you.
Well good morning. And first of all, thank you for bringing tears to my eyes and reminding us about what's going on and how Rachel is still weeping for her children.
Yeah, we can all I'm not. Rachel represents Jewish motherhood, but I think Jewish fatherhood and all people of good will of faith would be weeping for her children as well, not just Rachel. Thank you. Lucy. Uh, well, what can I do for you today?
The other day I was reading in Ruth chapter one, starting with verse six. And so my question is, Naomi was really pressing the issue that her daughter in law's should return home because she could no longer provide sons for them. So my question was, would they be able to find sons along the road, or I mean, husbands along.
The road along the way? Well, the if you go back, there's this concept. It's already enshrined in Deuteronomy called levirate law. And it's even was practiced before Deuteronomy. When you see Judah, remember when when Judah's son marries and then he dies, and then the next son, uh, Onan, marries her, uh, Tamar, and he dies, and then he doesn't want to give the third son, Shila, because he's afraid he's going to die. He lies and says, oh, let him grow up and
then I'll give him to you. But he wouldn't. Didn't want to do it. Do you remember that? So that's Liveright law. Uh, so the the way it would be is that the the the living brother would take the dead brother's responsibility to raise up an heir for the living brother, for the dead brother. And that's levirate law. And so that's what she's saying. I don't have another son to give you, but, uh, interestingly, the nearest relative could operate as the lever, so that meant the the
replacement husband to raise up an heir. But the thing is then that one will, uh, also have an inheritance from that nearest relatives family line. And so that's why Boaz was so sacrificial. He married Ruth and raised up a seed for Ruth's former Husband and offspring for Ruth's dead husband, as well as, uh, taking that child as his own. And so that child was like a double inheritor. Uh, so that's what that's what happened. But that's why she
was saying it. I have no more children to give you to serve as a substitution husband as the law requires.
Ruth was also being sacrificial, not just in her devotion to Naomi, but she was also being sacrificial in the same way, knowing that she may not have a husband.
Uh, yeah. She she did not go with the intention of of being married. She she I think her devotion is not just to Naomi, but to the God of Israel. You know, your God will be my God. She says to Naomi and her sister, uh, Orpah. She goes back to her family and to her gods. So what you see is sort of an apostasy on the part of Orpah,
but a genuine faith on the part of Ruth. I think you're right that, uh, and she and she was going to follow the God of Israel and serve her mother in law, regardless of whether she ever married again or not. And, you know, you see her when she goes to Bethlehem. What's she doing? She's out there gleaning, which is God's provision through the law of Moses for people who are poverty stricken to glean the corners of
the the fields. And she goes to glean, she goes to work hard to care not just for herself, but for her mother in law. She's she's quite the the woman. And she is called in the narrative by Boaz, an Ezekiel, which I think that's a Hebrew phrase. It means a woman of valor or a noble woman. And it's the same expression that's used in Proverbs 31 of of woman of valor, or a noble woman who can find. And it's interesting. In the original Hebrew order of the books,
Proverbs 31 is followed by the Book of Ruth. So you have the description of the woman of valor in Proverbs 31, and then you have the narrative description of her in the life of Ruth that follows immediately after in the order of the canon in the Hebrew Bible. Isn't that interesting, Lucy? I just think it is. It is? Yeah. It's. She she she's a terrific a terrific role model. I'm glad she made it into the line of the Messiah.
I know, yeah.
So. Well, thank you, Lucy, for your call.
Could you. Yes.
Could you answer real quick? My second question, though, is like, physically, where did they live? It was her home preserved for her.
Likely she lived. She. I don't know if she went and got an apartment. You know, maybe it was rent controlled. I don't know, but. Okay. They went back to Bethlehem, and that's where she lived. Okay.
Okay. Great discussion. Thank you very much. Thank you.
Lucy. Appreciate it. Uh, Rob in Chicago, listening on wmbi. Welcome to Open Line.
Well good morning. Thank you.
How can I help you today?
My question is about.
Slavery in the Bible, specifically Joseph. How are his brothers able to sell him into slavery when I'm assuming they didn't own him?
I don't think they were looking for a title deed when they sold him into slavery. Uh, what it was is they were obviously they threw him in a pit and said to the the Ishmaelites as they came by, you want him? Pay us some money. You can take them. And then he went into slavery. That's that's what it was. There was no official document that went with it that had that where they had to prove ownership.
Joseph couldn't say, no, no, I'm not a slave.
But actually, the Ishmaelites couldn't have cared less. They they don't care if he's a slave or not. They just care about. Okay, look, we'll make a little profit. We'll buy them for X amount, and we'll sell them for X plus Y. So that's that's what they were looking at.
This is no different. Well the kind of slavery is different. But, uh, how could the tribes in Africa that went to the Moorish slave dealers that, you know, tribes would actually capture people from other tribes and bring them to the Muslim slave traders? They didn't have to show documentation. They said,
here they are. And they sold them into slavery. And then the slave traders brought them to the United States and or actually the, the colonies and, and then and to the Caribbean and to Great Britain and places like that, so that they could be put into slavery. There was no documentation for that. People were just stolen. That's what it is. Okay.
Thank you. Yeah.
Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. Uh, it's one of the most vile aspects of history. Uh, the idea that that people would just steal others and sell them into slavery. Think about this. But here's the amazing thing about Joseph. Read the narrative. Read the story in Genesis 37 all the way through 50. But there's a little break in 38 and 49, but in chapters 37 and then 39 through 48 and then chapter 50, it tells the entire story of Joseph. And what's amazing is it keeps repeating,
no matter how bad it gets. You know, Joseph gets sold into slavery and he's now a slave. And the Lord was with Joseph. And then and then he gets falsely accused of sexually assaulting Potiphar's wife, and he gets thrown into prison. And the Lord was with Joseph. And in every action Joseph acts as if he knows the Lord is with him, and he has to honor him in all his behavior. And it also says in those texts that no matter how bad it got, the Lord
blessed Joseph and cared for him. That's a great reminder for us, isn't it, that no matter how bad it is, the Lord can be with us? And Joseph recognized it was all part of God's plan to save people. So really remarkable story, the story of Joseph. We're going to talk to Susan in Vidalia, Georgia, listening on WGBH. Welcome to Open Line, Susan. How can I help you?
Thank you. Sir.
This is a privilege and an honor.
Thank you. You're kind.
Just a quick note for giving donations. For those of us who have to do minimal distribution of our IRAs. Can give that directly to you and to Moody and not have to pay tax on that and you can usually give a whole lot more. So that's been our our habits here. We have loved our surrogate Moody with Good News Network in South Georgia.
Well thank you so much. That is so generous and so kind I really, really appreciate it. Susan. Uh, well, how can I help you today?
Okay. What I'm asking is, and I had talked with you about dealing with a family of Jews here, older, older Jews. And, um, I was looking up the the Hebrew holidays for the year, and I came upon a site that had the seven holidays, the dates for them. And then day eight it was called, and day eight was a long listed with it. And it said, this is the day that all who have lived will be raised again to live eternally. And I, the website told
me nothing about who they were. I went to several websites asking about day eight, and all they did is repeat what they said about living forever in eternity in heaven.
So I don't know about day eight. I know this that the messianic kingdom is called the Shabbat. You know that the Shabbat is the seventh day, and so that there's going to be a Shabbat, a seventh day of of of earthly rest, you know, of where the earth is under the messianic reign and living in peace and righteousness. And maybe day eight then is the world to come. Maybe that I'm not aware of that in rabbinic literature, but I am aware of the seventh day, the Shabbat
being compared to the Messianic kingdom. But it makes sense that there's a day eight but these people may have come up with themselves. I don't think rabbinic literature does that. Okay, Susan.
Several sites to see who was behind it, and I could find nothing.
Yeah, well, whoever.
It is is putting out falsehoods about.
Well, I don't know if that's falsehood. We just may not be aware of it. But here's the thing about it, Susan, is that, uh, the way the way Judaism lays it out is there's six days of this world, the seventh day of the messianic kingdom, and then not. It's not called the eighth day. But then there's the world to come forever. Similar to how the Book of revelation, uh, puts it. You know, the Book of Revelation has it, uh,
this way. It says that there's going to be a thousand year reign of the Messiah, and then there's the world to come, the new heavens and the new earth. Revelation 21 and 22. So that's kind of similar to this day eight. So. Okay. Susan.
Yes. Thank you sir.
Hey, thank you so much for not only your call, but your generosity. Really, really appreciate it. Thank your husband as well. We're going to come back with the mailbag in just a bit. You're listening to Open Line with Michael Radonich. Uh, and, uh, you sent the questions into the mailbag at Michael at Open Line radio.org and ask Michael a question. And now Trish has put it together and to hear and I are going to talk about it right here on Moody Radio. Stay with us. And
we're back. We're grateful to the Far Eastern Broadcasting Company because they partner with Open Line to bring you the weekly Febc mailbag. It's a terrific organization, and it brings the good news to people primarily through media. But there are actually people on the ground that do great follow up and they have terrific personal engagement. You should check out the Febc podcast until all I've heard by going to Febc dawg. That's febc.org. And joining me right now
is part of our team to hear a Haynes. I hate to hear her.
Good morning Michael. How are you?
Great, great. You know, I was I walked in and Trish she's done all this work to get us ready for the mailbag, right.
She does? Yeah.
And she's been working with me all week long about today's program. And Lisa is here. She's sort of helping out as well. And you're here. And, uh, Merl, you know, Merl is not our regular engineer, but he's a regular engineer on Moody Radio, and he's a terrific help. He's just given me the best window I've ever had on my computer screen here. Awesome. Uh, what a team. And and that's that's what I love. People sometimes forget that it takes a team to bring open line on the air.
You know, it just doesn't happen with me sitting around in my basement. It's here. I am in the studio. We're having a good time, but it's a team. And I think that sometimes we neglect to remember that there's more people on this team. There's the people who give monthly to open line, our kitchen table partners. Yes. Yeah. You know, they're they're out there. They give monthly so I can be on the air weekly. And Trish and I,
we produce a Bible study moment every other week. It's an audio Bible study produced every other week for our kitchen table partners. Just a way of saying, hey, thanks for being part of the team. And I just think it's so, uh, helpful and terrific that to know that it's more than just me and to hear, I appreciate you so much. I know you appreciate our partners as.
Well I do.
Yeah. And I, you know. Teairra, when did you join the team?
I started producing for Moody Radio in 2020 2nd November, but I've been part time with Moody Radio as a writer since 2018. Wow.
And and you also have been helping out on Open Line now for about six months, am I right?
About six months. Maybe. Summer of last year, roughly.
Yeah. Yeah, that's that's pretty cool. So anyway, if you're listening and you think I want to be part of the team too, and you'd like to become a kitchen table partner, uh, what you can do is you can call (888) 644-7122 or go to open Line radio.org. We so appreciate you for doing that I really do. Okay. Let's let's go to the mailbag and and see what we've got okay.
Yes. Thank you. Our first person is Peggy who sent a question through Facebook. What are the synoptic gospels?
Uh, the word synoptic optic. We see that that means to see right?
Yes.
And soon in Greek is together. So it means to see together and together. And when it's used of the synoptic Gospels, you know that that's just referring to the fact that Matthew, Mark and Luke have sort of a similar structure and stories. They, you know, some people have conjectured that they had a document that they all based their gospels on. Some people think Mark was the original gospel because it's the shortest. And then the Luke and and Matthew followed Mark. I actually don't think so. I
think that Matthew was the first. It was written in Aramaic and Greek for really Jewish people. Some would read in Aramaic and some would read it. The Hellenistic Jews would read it in Greek. That's what it was for. And then what happened? Paul started preaching the gospel and needed something for the Greco-Roman world. So he got his personal physician, Luke, to do a history and write the
Gospel of Luke. And then what happened next was Peter got to Rome, preached a message about the life of Jesus. His partner, John Mark, was sitting there with him, listening, taking notes, and wrote up Peter's sermon as an authoritative message about the life or the memoir of Peter of Jesus. And and he he writes it up. It's interesting because it follows the same exact sermon outline that Peter uses
in acts, uh, which I think is really interesting. It's the gospel of Mark, and the message of Peter are very structured similarly. And then what happens is later on, John writing possibly to Rome or to a, to the whole Roman Empire. Jews and Gentiles together writes up this a sort of a different memoir from the perspective of Jesus ministry in Judea. So it's slightly different than there's some overlap, but it's different than the synoptic gospels. And by the way, a great book, uh, is, uh, it's
called why Four Gospels? And, uh, David Allen David something wrote it. I have to look that up. Uh, but it's a wonderful book that people can can find, uh, about how we got the four gospels. Let's do another question real quick, and then we'll take a break.
Sure. Um, we have Stephanie Ohio from Ohio. Wtxf Mark 214 calls Levi Orpheus's son, and Mark 318 calls James Alphaeus son. Was this a common name during that time that both of their fathers had the same name?
Yeah, it was a common name. It means God. Uh. Uh. Try to remember what it means. But it was not an unusual name. Uh, and, uh, I think something like God fearer. But that's. I'm not sure exactly. I have to look that up, but, uh, the the it was not an unusual name, and they probably had two different. There were two different apostles with dads who had the same name. Just like. That's not unusual today, you know.
Great to know. Yeah.
So anyway, we're going to we're going to go to break here. And when we come back, we're going to, uh, take more of your calls and questions and do our best to answer them. I'll come back with the name of the author of why four Gospels and exactly what Alphaeus means. Okay. Stay with us. This is open line with Michael Radonich. And we're on Moody Radio. Glad you're with us. Welcome back to Open Line. So glad that
you're here with me. You know, since the war with Israel, with Israel's war with Hamas began, the nation has been pretty much shut down for tourism, although there are some tourists going back now. But if you'd like to see and haven't been able to go. Chosen People Ministries, one of our ministry partners, is offering Israel the land and the people. It's a coffee table book with some of
the best pictures of Israel that you'll find anywhere. And it doesn't just show the beauty and history and the culture, but it really shows the whole country, from Mount Hermon to Masada, from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. And it's got Bible verses and prayer points. It's a really helpful book. And that's something I think you'd really like. And it's yours. Free from Chosen People ministries. All you have to do is go to the Open Line website. That's Open Line radio.org,
open line radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link that says Free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that and you'll be taken to a page where you can sign up for your own copy free copy of Israel, The land and the people. Uh, we're going to talk to Brenda in Naperville listening on Moody Radio Chicago, 90.1 FM. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
Hi, Pastor Adele, thank you so much for taking my call. Um, a while ago, I heard a pastor, um, on an interview, and he was talking about a term, and I got it wrong when I was talking to your interviewer there, trans dispensationalism. And he was talking about how people who
have never heard the gospel can still be saved. And he said that it was based on their desire to know the truth, and that God would take that into account just the same way that he, uh, just the same way that people from the Old Testament would be saved.
That's not let me just stop you there. That view has nothing to do with dispensationalism. Okay. Uh, it's, uh, someone's trying to give it a respectability by calling it dispensational. Okay. But I've heard the view. Uh. You can. Am I
understanding it? Right? That based on the Old Testament, uh, people, uh, who had faith in the coming Messiah and were trusting in him, uh, since they could be saved, that now that the Messiah has come, if they haven't heard of him or they don't believe in him, but they have faith in a coming Messiah, that they can indeed be saved.
What I was reading is that he compared people being saved now who haven't heard the gospel, like, I guess, parts of the world where they did. And he was saying something like, oh yeah, it's kind of like people who had never heard the gospel back in the day. Um, you know, they were they could still be they were saved.
Um, that's.
The argument that people use. They say, well, there were people saved before the Lord Jesus came, before they had conscious faith in him. So therefore, people who have not heard, who don't have conscious faith in Jesus can be saved. Is that that's it, based on the way Old Testament people were saved, right? Brenda.
That's wrong. What?
Yeah, but that's wrong, right?
Yeah, of course it's wrong.
It's so wrong.
Here's the deal. We're saved. Always saved by grace through faith in the revealed will of God, by grace through faith in the revealed will of God and the Messiah has come. He is the revealed will of God. He has been, uh, identified already as as the one, uh, who is the the promised one, uh, you know, in Hebrews one one it talks about the past and the present, and this is what's important. Uh, here's what it says.
I'm turning my pages here of my Bible. It says, long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at different times and in different ways. Now, verse two, in these last days, he has not spoken. He has now spoken to us by his son. So you know what's been who's been revealed. It's the Son of God. And then in John chapter eight, this is Jesus talking, Uh, and he says this, uh. It's verse 24. Uh, therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he,
you will die in your sins. So and it's interesting because the Greek doesn't say, I am he. That's what the English Bible says. In Greek it says, if you do not believe that I am, uh, using the phrase of deity. If you do not believe that I am deity, I am God. You're still in your sins. So that's calling for people to have actual conscious faith in Jesus. Uh, I think that that's why we have to be motivated to present the gospel everywhere we go. Don't you think, Brenda?
Yeah, exactly. And otherwise. What? Why did the Lord sacrifice for us if we don't have to.
If we don't have to believe.
In him.
Yeah. Why?
Why did he. Why did he even come? Why was he, uh, allow him? You know, no man takes my life. The Lord Jesus said, but I lay it down willingly. Why did he do that? Uh, why was he raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the father if it's insignificant? Uh, no. I think, though, most people who believe in this, some people call it unrecognized mediation. Uh, what what they say is that it's the death and resurrection of Messiah applied to people who have not believed
in him. But Jesus says, no, you must believe in in me. Uh, there's no other name under heaven by which a person can be saved. So anyway, thanks for your call, Brenda. Uh, I appreciate it. We're going to talk to Eric in Elyria, Ohio. Listen, on wtxf. I once had a terrible flight to Elyria. Just saying, but a little like little plane. So from now on, I'm flying out of Cleveland or Columbus, but not not not stopping in Elyria. It's a beautiful city, though. Glad you're
with us. Eric, how can I help you?
Thank you. Doctor. Mike. Um, this is a verse I've always had a problem with. Psalm 137 nine. And blessed be the one who takes and seizes the little ones and bashes their heads against the rocks. I've always had a problem with that verse, and the contrary to what Jesus teaches in the New Testament. I mean that, you know, I listened to you at the very beginning about the little ones who, you know, yeah, who died. And, you know,
I just I just have a problem with that. And I don't know if it's retribution against what Hamas did or do we how do you how do you you know.
Well, it's, uh, those are called imprecations. Imprecatory Psalms. Uh, Where a it calls for God to enact vengeance and then sees humanity as servants of God, carrying out that vengeance. So often we think of that as purely an Old Testament idea, but not so. It's you can find it in the very last book of the New Testament, uh, in revelation six, where there's a call for judgment on
those who, uh, who have carried out terrible deeds. Uh, it says that in six, nine and ten, when the fifth seal is opened, the people slaughtered because of their testimony, they cried out with a loud voice, Lord, the one who is holy and true, how long until you judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth? So there's a call for bloody vengeance. Uh, you know what? In my judgment, I think it's okay to call on God to carry out judgment at the right time, in
the right way. And I think that's really all that you're seeing in Psalm 137, verse nine. Uh, that it's called a call on God to, to carry out judgment. And he promises that, by the way, against the Babylonians for what they did in Habakkuk chapter one. God, you got to judge Judah, because look how wicked they are. And so God says, I'm going to raise up the Babylonians. And then chapter two, Habakkuk says, well, wait, how can
you judge Judah by people more wicked than they? So God's answer is, well, I'm going to judge the Babylonians for what they do. And then, and this is what, uh, Habakkuk has to throw up his hands and say, Lord, you know what you're doing. I don't understand you, but I'm going to trust you. And that's where I think we have to be as well. Uh, God, you're going to do whatever is the right thing in terms of judgment. But we have to trust you. Okay. I hope that helps a little bit. Eric.
Yeah. It does. Thank you so much.
Okay, good. Thanks for your call. Uh, Anna in Ohio, listening on wtxf. Welcome to Open Line, Anna. How can I help you?
Hi. Thanks for taking my call. And, um, my question is, they call Jesus son of David. But David's bloodline is from Joseph. Why do they call him the Son of David if he's from, um, Mary and not Joseph?
Well, for two reasons. One, he is the son of David. Because if you read the Lukan genealogy, that's Mary's genealogy. And it goes David. Nathan, uh, David's son Nathan. And and continues down to Mary. So, uh, Mary, his actual mother. Physical mother. Birth mother is a descendant of David, and so he could very well be a descendant of David, just purely from the Gospel of Luke. So that's one thing. But the right to rule actually had to come through
Solomon's line under the line of David. Joseph. If you read the Matthean genealogy, Joseph is the son of David through Solomon. And then he adopted the Lord Jesus, and one of the most basic rules of of Jewish halakha in the first century Jewish law. Jewish legal decisions is that the adopted child has all the rights and privileges of a born child. And so, because Joseph adopted the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus became his first born son,
though he was not the actual birth father. The Holy Spirit did a miracle and conceived the Lord Jesus without a man. However, by by adoption, by adoption, he he was legitimately called the Son of David because Mary was his birth mother. And so being the descendant of David through Mary, and also legitimately called so because he was the adopted son of Joseph, who was also a son of David through Solomon. Okay. I hope that straightens it out for you, Anna.
Yeah. Thank you for your time.
Yeah. Thank you so much for your call. Uh, you know, people get confused by that Lucan genealogy, but that is the genealogy of Mary. The Gospel of Matthew tells the birth narrative from the perspective of Joseph. The Gospel of Luke tells it from the perspective of of Mary. Well, thanks for listening, everyone. that's the first hour. Keep listening. Because there's a second hour of open line on most
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